On 18 March 2021, BCSDN member Partners Albania for Change and Development, together with the European not-for Profit Law (ECNL) and the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN), organized the regional workshop: “NPO engagement in Anti-Money Laundry/ Combating Financing of Terrorism processes– lessons from the WBT”. The workshop addressed the governments’ restrictions as part of the legal measures in response to MONEYVAL recommendations. These include: legal provisions to restrict basic civic freedoms, including freedom of expression of association, freedom of assembly, and participation right; limitations of civil society access to financial services, delays or termination of transactions; burdensome administrative requirements, etc. The activity was funded by the GIZ Global Project “Combating Illicit Financial Flows”.
Ms. Juliana Hoxha, the Executive Director of PA, opened the workshop introducing organization’s work and current projects on AML/CFT, and together with Ms. Klotilda Tavani Kosta, the Director of programs in PA, moderated the event’s two sessions. At the beginning of the event, Ms. Vanja Skoric, Director of Program at ECNL, outlined the regional and global perspective and trends on the international regulations on AML/CFT and their impact on NPOs.
Among the prominent WBT representatives that shared experiences and initiatives of NPOs in the region, Ms. Bojana Selakovic, the Program Director of Civic Initiatives, through the case “The list”, discussed the abuse of AML Legislation as suppression of civic space in Serbia; while Ms. Rana Kotan, the Executive Director of TUSEV, addressed the concern for the civil society enabling environment, after the adoption of the Law on Preventing Financing in Turkey.
The event was followed by an open discussion on the practices to increase NPO engagement on AML/ CFT, which encouraged CSOs’ representatives from WBT to acknowledge the need for a coordinated advocacy effort with the international institutions, working on the issues.
Watch the workshop, and find more on all participant’s reflections here.